Somerset, NJ -- As part of the Northeast
Conference’s effort to recognize the ongoing charitable and
community service efforts of its member institutions, Sacred Heart
was recently awarded the inaugural NEC Building Communities
Award.

The award, which was conceived by the NEC Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC), is designed to recognize the institution which
demonstrates the highest dedication to making an impact in the
community through the efforts of its student-athletes, coaches and
administrators. Over the course of the 2010-11 academic year,
Conference members logged over 25,000 hours of community
service.

“The Northeast Conference is incredibly proud to announce
Sacred Heart University as the inaugural recipient of the NEC
Building Communities Award, which was presented to Dr. John
Petillo at the June 8th NEC Council of Presidents meeting,”
said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. “The purpose of
this award is to celebrate the commitment and dedication our
student-athletes, coaches and administrators place on making an
impact in their respective communities. We were well aware
that our membership was extremely active in community service, and
were thrilled to learn that the NEC volunteered over 25,000 hours
of community service in the 2010-11 academic year. We
look forward to continuing to make a difference in our communities
as we move into year two of the NEC Building Communities
Award.”

Sacred Heart itself donated 6,212 hours of community service, the
majority of which took place through the “Dunbar School
Initiative.” The Dunbar School is a K-8 school located
on the east side of Bridgeport, CT. The Sacred Heart SAAC
takes part in the M.O.T.I.V.A.T.E. project at Dunbar, which stands
for Meaningful Opportunities To Inspire Vision and Achieving Total
Excellence. The mission is to provide opportunities to Dunbar
students through mentoring that will enhance their sense of pride,
responsibility and worth. The SAAC arranged for athletic vans
to be available every morning, driven by students, with 10-15
student-athletes visiting Dunbar each day to help assist in the
classroom.

“The NEC Building Communities Award is a wonderful
validation and recognition of Sacred Heart’s student-athletes
commitment to the external community, particularly those in our
local urban center of Bridgeport where people are not as blessed
nor as fortunate as we are,” said Don Cook, Sacred Heart
Director of Athletics. “The award has given our
student-athletes another reason to feel good about being caring,
responsible members of the larger community in which they
live. As important as intercollegiate sports participation is
in their personal growth, greater is the impact its influence has
had in providing a social platform of caring for and about
others. While the outcome of games offers its teachable
moments, many student-athletes understand even better how community
service offers richer, more meaningful opportunities for personal
growth. Every time our student-athletes stepped out of their
comfort zone for someone less fortunate, it reminded them how lucky
they are to be associated with the Northeast Conference, an entity
that offers sports competition, but more so an opportunity to
become bigger than they are through a total life experience richer
than the sports they play.”

Robert Morris finished the year with 4,977 hours of service, the
second highest total in the Conference. Saint Francis (PA)
(3,174), Central Connecticut State (2,580), Fairleigh Dickinson
(2,267) and Monmouth (2,079) all logged more than 2,000 hours on
the year.

About the
Northeast Conference
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary season, the Northeast
Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association
consisting of 12 institutions of higher learning located throughout
six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the
largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh
(#23), Baltimore (#26), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in
1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has
grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now
enjoys automatic or play-in access to 13 different NCAA
Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut
State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St.
Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis
(NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner. Bryant will become the
NEC’s 12th member upon completion of the NCAA Division I
reclassification process in 2012. For more information on the NEC,
visit www.northeastconference.org.